Flat knitting machine



Oct. 11, 1938. H. w. ROESENER FLAT KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, '19s"; v Sheets-Sheet 1 7 r INVENTOR 1kg"; ll fi cscizm f5 f9 ATTORNEY 7 Shee ts-Sheet 2 lifioescwel:

H. w. ROESEN ER FLAT KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1937 Oct. 11, 1938.

Oct. .11, 1,938. H. w. ROESENER 2,132,496

I FLAT KNITTING mourns Filed Sept. 4, 19:57 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR ATTO'RNEY Oct. 11,1938. H. w. ROESENER 2,132,496

FLAT KNITTING MACHINE File d Sept. 4, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Oct. 11, 1938. H. w. ROESENER FLAT KNITTING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Sept. 4, 1937 OR fi WZZfscWez AT'TORNEY Oct. 11, 1938. H. w. ROESENER 2,132,495

FLAT KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 4, 1937 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 /JINVENTOR J 'v 1741/ Zafsemer 14 A'i'ToRNEY anism capable of .in a full allowing improved boarding of the stocking for atented Oct..11, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,132,496 FLAT KNITTTNG MACHINE Harry W.

to Merchantville ville, N. J.

Application September 4,

14 Claims.

The present invention relates to flat knitting machines of the type intended to knit full fashioned hosiery, and more particularly, to a mechbeing readily mounted in a full fashioned hosiery knitting machine and specially devised to produce the type of stocking shown and described in my co-pending application, Serial Number 113,416, filed November 30, 1936, of which the present application is a continuation in part. I

It is the. primary object of the invention to provide a mechanism capable of being readily incorporated in a full fashioned hosiery knitting machine of the usual type, commonly known as the legger, without necessitating radical changes in the basic construction or operation thereof, whereby the transferred loop courses and narrowing courses through the leg and foot fabrics of a full fashioned stocking, to impart a characteristic design and proper shaping thereto, may be made on a single machine.

It is an important object of the invention to provide a mechanism by means of which the same general principle of narrowing may be followed in the leg, foot, and toe so that all narrowing throughout the full fashioned stocking blank may be performed by the sanie type of narrowing mechanism.

the .provision of a specially devised narrowing mechanism operable to form in required sequence heel, sole, and toe fabrics, the narrowing of the toe fabric being such that yarns, reinforced to a degree greater than heretofore practiced or feasible, may be used. It is likewise among the characteristic features. of the invention to provide a mechanism operable to produce a wider reinforced toe'area fashioned knitted stocking, resulting in the subsequent neater and more even packaging thereof.

Still another meritorious feature of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanism whereby the leg and foot fabrics of full fashioned stocking toe blanks may be knitted from the same yarns in the same knitting sections of the same machine, thus eliminating the possibility of a pronounced line at the juncture of the leg and foot fabrics or of a two-tone effect therebetween and, consequently, assuring a complete full fashioned stocking blank of uniform texture and appearance throughout its sheer portion.

The invention further aims to provide a full Roesener, Philadelphia,

Hosiery Company,

Pa... assignor Merchant- 1937, Serial No. 162,436

fashioned knitting machine with a narrowing mechanism having narrowing combs each split v in two sections and provided with means whereby one of the sections of each comb may be operated alone to form the leg narrowings in accordance with the present trade demand, or the two sections of each comb may be rigidly interconnected for operation as aunit to form a novel type of narrowings in the toe for imparting thereto a better fitting and stronger construction.

Moreover, the invention is characterized by the provision, in a full fashioned stocking knitting machine, of a narrowing mechanism having narrowing combs, said combs being relatively adjustable whereby the lockstitch bar usually provided upon such machine may function freely to form picot courses or ornamental designs in the welt or any other desired part of the stocking fabric.

Other important objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of be readily understood by persons skilled in the, art, I have, in the accompanying drawings and in the detailed description based thereupon, set out a possible embodiment of the invention.

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a complete full fashioned stocking blank constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a partial front elevation of a full fashioned hosiery knitting machine embodying my invention.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the machine.

Figure 4 is an enlarged front elevation of a knitting section of the knitting machine illustrating the narrowing combs and lockstitch bar in one position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 illustrating the narrowing combs in another position.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail in front elevation of the narrowing rod connections.

Figure '7 is a side elevation of one of the narrowing rod connections shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a section taken on line 8- -8 of Figure 7.- 4

Figure 9 isa side elevation of one type of the narrowing rod brackets used in conjunction with the invention.

Figure 10 is a face elevation of the the cover plate removed.

Figure 11 is an enlarged same with section taken on line Having more particular reference to the drawings, wherein like characters of reference will can normally occur. Thus the stocking blank presents a uniform texture and appearance throughout its entire sheer area.

As shown, the welt 2 The foot l includes the instep fabric 9, the heel fabrics W with their usual narrowings l l, the sole gussets, but consists of a pair of side fabrics i6 and l! respectively, and in intermediate fabric or toe patch 18. The fabrics M, ii, and it are defined by the fashioning lines i5 which extend walewise of the toe fabric for the major portion of their length, that is to say, the fashioning lines l5 extend walewise of the fabric to a point indicated by the dotted line c c. From this line to the tip 69 of the blank, the fashioning lines l5 are tapered inwardly of the fabric in the manner represented at 20. Due to the formation of the narrowings 65, the toe is fashioned to properly fit the foot of the wearer. In fact, I have discovpreferably of ordinary reinforcement.

By reason of the heavilyreinforced to'e patch 18, it will be appreciated that the wearing quality that is to say, due to the construction of the toe section, the same will not have the usual protruding ears present in the ordinary stocking. Consequently, a stocking made in accordance with this invention will board perfectly flat and, therefore, may be packaged flatly and neatly.

The heavy reinforcement of the toe patch l8 yarn or ordinary reinforcing yarn, said wales constituting fabric panels |8a separating the heavy reinforced intermediate fabric l8 from the ordinary reinforced sidc fabrics l6 and H, thereby imparting a certain degree of elasticity to the fabric, allowing the toe section to readily adjust itself to the foot of the wearer.

In the drawings, illustrating the mechanism which resentedat 2i and includes the end frames 22, the center frames 23, the beams 24 and the center bed 25.

Mounted in the usual manner about the center bed 25 More- 7 (ill) Arranged at each end of the machine are the narrowing motion mechanisms, designated in their entirety for convenience herein by the reference character 28. Each narrowing motion mechanism 28 includes an outer narrowing nut 29 and an inner narrowing nut 30 in engagement with a rotatable double threaded spindle 3| whereby said narrowing nuts may be moved towards or away from each other, depending upon the rotating direction of the spindle 3|.

The spindle 3| is rotated by means of a pawl and ratchet mechanism 32 comprising a ratchet wheel 33 acted upon by a pawl 34 receiving its motion from a forked lever 35 connected, as shown at 36, to one end of a rocking arm 31 having its other end pivoted to the front portion of the end frame 22 as represented at 38.

A roller 39, journalled in the intermediate portion of the rocking arm 31, is disposed for periodical engagement with a cam 40 fixed on the main cam shaft 4| supported in appropriate bearings mounted on the end and center frames.

22 and 23 respectively, and extending longitudinally throughout the length of the knitting machine. The periodical engagement of the roller 3! with the cam 49 is controlled by the shifting of the main cam shaft which occurs through the function of the usual controlling chain mechanism (not shown).

Proper riding engagement between the roller 39 and cam 40 is assured by means of a spring 42 suitably connected to the arm 31 and to the machine frame.

The teeth of the ratchet wheel 33 are so spaced that the racking of said Wheel will cause the narrowing nuts associated with the spindle 3| to move a distance equal to one needle, although, in accordance with the usual narrowing operation, the pawl 34 is operable to engage every other tooth of said ratchet, so that, in actuality, the spindle 3| is rotated to advance the narrowing nuts the distance of two needles.

The spindle 3| is provided with a second ratchet wheel 43 having its teeth extending in a direction opposite to that of the ratchet wheel 33 and adapted to be actuated to reversely rack the spindle 3| by means of a pawl 44 pivoted to the forked lever 35, for instance, as is shown at 45.

The teeth of the ratchet wheel 43 are likewise so spaced that the distance between each tooth is equal to the distance between each needle and the pawl 44 is normally operable to engage every other tooth whereby the spindle 3| is rotated to reversely rack said spindle the distance of two needles. the spindle 3| so that the narrowing nuts will be reversely racked the distance of one needle only.

In accordance with the present invention and for the purpose above stated, the pawl 44 is provided with means adjustable to vary the action of said pawl on its associated ratchet wheel 43, that is to say, means whereby the pawl will be caused to operate to reversely rack the spindle the distance of one or of two needles, depending upon the adjustment of said means. Difierent arrangements may be devised for that'purpose but, as represented in the drawings, I prefer to provide a block 46 having a cam portion 46' and received in a slot 41 cut into the pawl 44 and pivoted thereto by means of a riveted bolt 48 or like element. Because of this construction, it will be understood that by moving the block 46 so that its cam portion 46 disappears within the slot 41, the pawl 44 will be free to engage every second tooth of the ratchet wheel and thus cause At times, it may be desirable to actuate Search Room the narrowing nuts 29 and 30 to be racked back the distance of two needles, but when the block 46 is in the position represented in the drawings, that is, with its cam portion 46 protruding from the slot 41, said portion will ride on the ratchet wheel and, accordingly cause the pawl to miss one tooth, thereby reversely racking the narrowing nuts 29 and 30 the distance of one needle only whenever it is desired to produce single needle narrowings in the stocking blank.

The block 46 is held in its adjusted positions preferably by means of a pin 49 adapted to slide transversely of the pawl 44 and attached to a leaf spring 50 suitably secured to the side of said pawl. In turn, the block 46 is provided with a pair of spaced apertures and 52, the aperture 5| being positioned to engage the pin 49 when the block is in operative position, and the aperture 52 being disposed for engagement with said pin when the block is in inoperative position. It is, of course, to be understood that the pawl 44 may be completely retracted out of operative relationship with its ratchet wheel so that no racking back will take place. The retraction of the pawl may be done manually or through the ordinary mechanism 44 (Figure 3) commonly provided on well known legger knitting machines.

The movements of the narrowing nuts 29 and 30, it will be understood, are for the purpose of controlling the upper narrowing rod 53 and the lower narrowing rod 54 which are the narrowing rods usually provided on the ordinary legger knitting machine. For that purpose, each narrowing rod 53 and 54 is provided with a stop 55 engageable with said nuts in the usual manner and springs 56 are suitably connected to the narrowing rods in order that the stops 55 thereof may be in constant engagement with the nuts 29 and 30 respectively.

The narrowing rods 53 and 54 are slidably mounted in brackets 51 fixed on the front narrowing shaft 58 suspended from arms 59 pivoted to the rear narrowing shaft 60 journalled in bearings 6| secured upon the machine frame 20.

The upper narrowing rod 53 carries a narrowing comb 62 disposed at one side of the knitting section 26, whereas the other narrowing rod 54 carries a second narrowing comb 63 positioned at the other side of the knitting section.

Thus it will be appreciated that with operation of the narrowing mechanism, the narrowing combs 82 and 63 will move towards one another, that is inwardly of the knitted fabric, to narrow and shape the same in the ordinary well known manner.

In accordance with the invention, there are also provided two additional or auxiliary narrowing rods 64 and 65 of special construction in that they are subdivided into square portions 66 and relatively short round portions 61 and long round portions 61'. One of the additional narrowing rods is associated with each narrowing rod 53 and 54 respectively and, as shown, the additional narrowing rods are positioned in superposed paralleling relation to their respective main narrowing rods 53 and 54. Each additional narrowing rod carries a narrowing comb 68 and 69 adapted to be moved and held in or out of cooperative relationship with the narrowing combs 62 and 63 respectively, in the manner to be presently explained.

The additional narrowing rods 64 and 65 are slidably supported over the companion narrowing rods 53 and 54 by means of brackets 51 fixed to the brackets 51 by means of bolts III, or like fastening elements.

Certain of the brackets 51' are formed with multi-sided recessmsponding to the square portions 66 and accommodating the relatively short round portions 61 of the narrowing rods 84 and 65, whereas the other brackets are formed with rounded recesses 12 for accommodating the relatively long round portions 51' of said narrowing rods. The brackets 51' inclu e a cover 15, which cover, together with said brackets, are secured to the main bracket 51 by means of screws 16.

It will therefore be understood that by sliding the narrowing rods to a position where the round portions i become located within the recesses of the brackets 51', said narrowing rods may be rotated so that the narrowing combs 68 and 69 may be adjusted in an inactive position, that is, in the position represented in Figure 4, or in an active position, that is, in the position particularly shown in Figure 5. When in inactive position. the narrowing combs 68 and'69 are held therein merely by sliding the narrowing rods 64 and 65 so that the square portions 66 thereof become located within the multi-sided recesses of the brackets. In this manner, the narrowing rods 54 and 65 are prevented from rotating and, therefore, the narrowing combs 68 and 69 are positively maintained out of association with the narrowing combs 62 and 63, without any possibility of the same falling and thus causing accidental breaking of parts, while the machine is in operation.

When in active position, the additional narrowreds 64 and 65 are controlled by the main narrowing rods 53 and 54. For that purpose, there is preferably provided a thumb screw clamping connection 13 rigidly secured to each main narrowing rod and disposed to engage the end of the corresponding additional narrowing rod as shown at M. It will thus be understood that by tightening the clamps 13, a rigid connection is established between the associated narrowing rods and their respective narrowing combs so that the same are worked in unison.

Attention is particularly called to the fact that during the operation of the associated narrowing combs, the square portions 66 of the narrowing rods 64 and 65 assure proper alignment of the narrowing combs with the needles and the steadiness of said combs during their narrowing function. The arrangement and mounting of the narrowing rods and combs as above described are such that they do not interfere with the proper usual operation of the lockstitch bar 80. According to the invention, the lockstitch bar 80 is so mounted on the knitting machine that when in its operative position, as shown in Figure 2, it will clear the additional narrowing rods and their combs. For that purpose, as illustrated in the drawings, the lock stitch bar shaft 8| is rotatably arranged in bearings 82 fixed onto the brackets 51 over the brackets 51, and the lockstitch bar arms 83 are shaped to overlap the narrowing rods whereby the lockstitch bar is free to operate without interference. The operation of the lockstitch bar is done in the usual way through the functioning of the ordinary well known control means 84. When the lockstitch bar is placed in inoperative position, the points are protected by the usual guard 85.

The dipping motion of the front narrowing shaft 58 is effected in the usual manner by means of a vertical lever 86 having its upper end connected to said shaft and its lower end articulated to a substantially horizontally disposed arm 81 pivotally connected, as at 88, to the front portion of the machine frame 21.

The arm 81 carries a roller 89 at a point intermediate its connection with the arm 86 and the center frame 23; the roller 89 being adapted for riding engagement with the peripheral surface of a dipping cam 90 mounted on the main cam shaft 4|.

From the foregoing, it will be understood that with rotation of the main cam shaft 4|, the cam 90 will cause the front narrowing shaft 58 to move up and down through the interlinking connections 85 and 86, thus causing the narrowing combs to pick the loops off the needle bar 21, whereupon the narrowing mechanisms 32 function to transfer said loops a predetermined number of needles to form the various narrowings throughout the stocking blank.

It will, of course, be understood that the proper synchronized movement between the clipping motion and the transferring motion of the narrowing mechanism is had through relative adjustment of the clipping cam 90 and the ratchet operating cams 40.

In this connection, attention is particularly called to the configuration of the cam 40 which is formed with a high point P causing the forked lever 35 to remain in its up position longer than is customary in the usual function of the ordinary well known machine, in order to assure complete shifting or transferring of the loops in engagement with the narrowing combs before the racking back of the narrowing nuts occurs. In other words, since, in accordance with the invention, the racking back starts immediately with the down motion of the pawl 44 because the narrowing nuts are intended to be rotated the distance of two needles, the point P is so designed that the rearwardly racking pawl 44 will be held in elevated position until the transfer of the loops has been completed and the narrowing points have started on their upward movement and clear the sinkers.

When knitting upon my improved machine, the stocking blank represented in Figure l, the mechanism is initially set in the position shown in Figure 2, that is, with the narrowing combs 62 and 63 out of the knitting field, the narrowing combs 68 and 69 turned to inoperative position, and the lockstitch bar 80 placed for cooperation with the needle bar 21. With the machine thus set, the fabric is started in the usual manner, that is, the operator manually makes the set-up course along line :c-x by means of a welt transfer bar. The machine then knits a sufficient amount of fabric to form the double welt 2. During the knitting of the welt fabric and at a point approximately half way its length, the lockstitch bar is automatically operated through the normal function of the machine to form the picot course 5 along which the welt fabric is subsequently to be folded, thus providing the picot edge 5, the outer fabric 2a, and the inner fabric 21). This is accomplished by manually transferring the original setting-up loops back to the needles, forming the welt juncture line 6. At this point, during the process of knitting the stocking blank, the machine is set to the position shown in Figure 4, that is, the lockstitch bar80 is moved out of relationship with the needle bar 21 and the narrowing combs 62 and 63 brought into the the needle bar 21 in order knitting field, the narrowing combs 68 and 60 remaining in their inoperative position.

The knitting of the leg 3 is then started and continued down to the top leg or flare narrowings 1, at which time the narrowing mechanism the narrowing combs 62 and B3 to engage and transfer the selvedge loops the required number of times to form said narrowings.

At the end of this narrowing operation, the narrowing mechanism goes out of action and the knitting continues to narrowings 8 are to commence At this point, the narrowing mechanism again goes into action and causes the narrowing combs 62 and 63 to pick up the selvedge loops and transfer them inwardly of the fabric for a predetermined number of times in order to form said narrow-ings 8. The knitting is then continued to the top of the highsplice heel where the machine is stopped and the operator places into action the supplementary yarn carriers to knit the reinforced area of the high-splice. Knitting then continues to the instep line when the operator alters the operation of the yarn carriers so as to produce the heel fabrics or tabs I0, the narrowing mechanism operating during the knitting of said heel fabrics to form the narrowings II.

After the heel fabrics the needles, and retopped thereon so that the instep line and inside selvedge of the heel fabrics I will extend contiguously in engagement with that the foot fabric may be knitted thereonto.

The knitting is then carried on down to the 'point where thenarrowings I3 begin. At this point, the narrowing mechanism functions for the required number of times to produce said narrowings I3, whereupon the knitting of the remaining portion of the foot and sole fabrics continues down to the beginning of the toe fabric where the machine is stopped nism is set in the position represented in Figure 5, that is, the auxiliary narrowing rods 04 and 65 are rotated to bring their respective narrowing combs I50 and 60 in operative relationship with the narrowing combs 62 and 63 and with the needles of the needle bar 21.

The auxiliary narrowing rods M and 65 are then locked to .50 by means of the clamping connection 13 so the main narrowing rods 53 and that the associated pairs of narrowing combs 62 and 60, and 63 and 69 will-operate as aunit. With the machine so set, the knitting is carried on to form'the toe Il.'

During the knitting of the toe fabric I0, the narrowing mechanism, set as above stated, operates to form the narrowings I5 of a special novel construction more fully referred to in my copending application Serial Number 113,416 filed November 30, 1936. It is to be noted that the major portion of the narrowings I5 is walewise of the fabric. the ,fact that the narrowing mechanism funtions to repeatedly rack in and out the distance of two needles and this type of narrowing is carried on down to line c-c, whereupon the rearwardly racking pawl ll is thrown out of operawith the narrowing mechanism fabric to be continually narrowed in the distance of two needles for imparting a tapering formation to the remaining portion of the narrowthe point where the calf I0 have been completed, the machine is stopped, the fabric removed from- Y, and a relatively and, the mechai This is accomplished by reason of back causing the ings I5, and permitting the knitting of a complete stocking blank on one and the same machine.

Since the narrowing combs are so positioned as to engage only the side fabrics. I6 and I1, it will be understood that it is possible to utilize heavy reinforcing yarns in the knitting of the toe patch I8, the loops of which never engage the points of the narrowing combs 62-68 and 63-49.

In practice, associated combs 52 68 and 6369 of different widths so that the same will operate only on the required number of loops during the transfer operation. p

The method of knitting the stocking toe fabric, as above stated, will be more clearly understood from Figures 19, 20, and 21. As shown in Figure 20, at the begining portion of the toe section, there is made a series of alternating narrowing and plain courses I00 and IOI respectively, for the purpose of shaping the fabric. It will appear from said figure that the shaping of the fabric is had by transferring inwardly of the fabric for the distance of two wales those loops designated bythe reference character I02 which are the loops of the narrowing courses I00 normally disposed in the side fabrics I6 and I1.

Whereas the loops I02 of the narrowing courses I00 are transferred inwardly of the fabric, the remaining loops I03 of said courses, that is, the loops disposed in the intermediate fabric I8, retain their original position so that pairs of narrowing marks I04 are sides of the fabric at a point between the side fabrics I6 and I1 and the intermediate fabric I8. It will be noted that the loops I03 in the intermediate section I8 are knitted from the body yarn heavy reinforcing yarn YI, which is of a lighter weight than the reinforcing yarn Y2. i

While knitting the stocking blank from the welt fabric to the toe fabric, the yarn or yarns are laid in the usual manner by the carriers, that is, the yarn or over the required number of needles for. the required number of times to knit a sufficient number of courses for making the leg, heel, sole, and instep fabrics. As to the toe fabric, the method of laying the yarns may vary as will appear from Figures 19 and 21.

One method of. laying the yarns to attain the construction of my improved toe is diagrammatically shown in Figure 19, from which it will be apparent that a set of four carriers is utilized for the formation of the fashioned portion of the toe fabric. One of the carriers 1, which may be termed the main carrier, is threaded with the body yarn Y and is adapted to reciprocate over the entire edge to selvedge edge, as indicated by the arrow F. Two of the carriers, designated by the charactersfll and-III, and called tho main reinforcing carriers, are each threaded with separate ordinary reinforcing yarns YI said yarns respectively being of the same weight but of aheavier weight than the body yarn Y. The carrier II is disposed to reciprocate over one of the side fabrics, for instance, the side fabric I0, as indicated by the arrow G, whereas the carrier III is adapted to reciprocate over of said side fabrics, that is, the fabric I1 as arrow H.

The fourth and last carrier, designated by the reference character IV, and, for convenience, called the auxiliary reinforcing carrier, is threaded with relatively heavy r inforcing yarn Y2, said width of the fabric, that is, from sel-' indicated by the yarns are carried back and forth yarn Y2 being of a greater weight than the main reinforcing yarns Yl. The carrier IV is arranged to reciprocate over the intermediate fabric l8, as represented by the arrow J.

With the carriers arranged in the manner aforesaid, it will be appreciated that during the initial yarn laying movement in the direction indicated by the arrow D in Figure 19, carriers I and II are moved simultaneously, thus laying to form the series taneously with the laying of intermediate fabric if! by the carrier I, the auxiliary reinforcing carrier IV lays its heavy reinforcing yarn Y2 over said fabric so that there is formed a series of greatly reinforced Wales if)? covering the entire width of said intermediate fabric iii.

After the simultaneous laying of the yarns Y and Y2 over the intermediate fabric 118, the auxiliary carrier IV is stopped respective yarns Y and Yi for the formation of that series of wales Hi8 constituting the side fabric ll".

proper or required amount of fabric for the formation of the toe pocket.

It is pointed out that the laying of the separate yarns of different weights at spaced intervals flanked by ordinary reinforced fabrics, with a panel of unreinforced fabric interposed between the heavily reinforced and each ordinary reinforced fabric.

reinforcing yarn.

During the yarn laying movement ofthe carriers, the carriers Ia and Ib travel throughout fabric panels I 8a knitted from the body yarn, and

the ordinary reinforcoperation of the lock stitch bar, said ing yarns in overlapping relation, whereas the intermediate panel l8 will be constructed with the body yarn, the ordinary reinforcing yarn, plus the heavy reinforcing yarn in order to impart to said intermediate fabric the particular concarriers is had through the usual carrier rod stops associated with carrier nut control mechanism H0 usually provided upon the ordinary knitting machines.

Manifestly, the construction shown and described is capable of several modifications without the basic principle of the invenmodifications comingdeparting from tion. Accordingly; within the scope of the sub-joined claims are to be considered within the spirit of the invention. What I claim is: i 1. In a full-fashioned stocking blank knitting machine; having'a lock stitch bar operable to transfer loops during the knitting of the stocking blank:

eluding narrowing comb carrying rods having alternating multi-sided and rounded portions; bearings slidably supporting said rods and having multi -sided recesses adapted to correspond to the multi-sided portions of said rods for engagement therewith to retain the combs out of the way of said lock stitch bar and capable of freely accommodating the rounded portions of said rods for their positioning movements. v

2. In a full-fashioned stocking blank knitting machine having a lock stitch bar operable to transfer loops during the knitting of the stocking blank: a narrowing mechanism operable to narrow the leg and toe fabrics of said blank and mounted for movement from an operative to an inoperative position for the free mechanism including flat narrowing comb carrying rods provided with restricted portions spaced along the length thereof; bearings slidably supporting said rods and having rectangular recesses adapted to engage the flat sides of said rods for cooperation therewith, to retain the combs thereon out of the way of said lock stitch bar, ble of freely accommodating the restricted portions of said rods for their positioning movements.

3. In a full-fashioned stocking'blank knitting machine, a narrowing mechanism comprising pairs of longitudinally alignable narrowing combs, a slidable narrowing rod for each comb, certain of said rods having alternating sided and"rounded portions: supportingsaid rods, certain of said bearings having multi-sided recesses adapted to. correspond to the multi-sided portions t-ain rods for cooperation therewith to retan the combs thereon in position with respect to the remaining narrowing combs and capable of freely accommodating the rounded portions of the mentioned rods for their rotation to swing the combs therein in and out of alignment with said remaining combs.

4. In a full-fash oned stocking blank knitting machine, a narrowing mechanism comprising: pairs of longitudinally alignable narrowing combs; a slidable flat rod for each of said combs, certain of said rods having-restricted porfor the auxiliary rods having multibearings slidably tions spaced along the length thereof; bearings for slidably supporting said rods,

therewith to retain the combs thereon remaining narrowing combs and capable of freely accommodating the restricted portions of the mentioned rods for their rotation to swing the combs there-- in in and out of alignment with said remaining combs.

5. In a full-fashioned stocking blank knitting machine, a narrowing mechanism comprising pairs of longitudinally alignable narrowing combs; a slidable narrowing rod for each comb, certain of said rods having alternating multisided and rounded portions; bearings slidably supporting said rods, certain of said bearings having multi-sided recesses adapted to correspond-to thev multi-sided portions of said ceroperation tain rods for cooperation therewith to retain the combs thereon in position with respect to the remaining narrowing combs and capable of freely accommodating the rounded portions of the mentioned rods for their rotation to swing the combs therein in and out of alignment with said remaining combs; and means between said rods for locking the same together.

6. In a full-fashioned stocking blank knitting machine, a narrowing mechanism comprising: pairs of longitudinally alignable narrowing combs; a slidable flat rod for each of said combs certain of said rods having restricted portions spaced along the ength thereof; bearings for slidably supporting said rods, certain of said bearings having rectangular recesses adapted to flat sides of said certain rods for cooperation therewith, to retain the combs thereon in position wth respect to the remaining narrowing combs and capable of freely accommodating the restricted portions of the mentioned rods for their rotation to swing the combs therein in and out of alignment with said remaining combs; and means between said rods for locking the same together.

'7. In a full-fashioned stocking blank knitting machine, a narrowing mechanism comprising pairs of main and auxiliary narrowing rods respectively carrying slidable main and auxiliary narrowing combs, said-auxiliary narrowing rods having multi-sided and rounded portions; bearing slidably supporting said rods, .the bearings multi-sided, recesses adapted to correspond to the multi-sided portions of said auxiliary therewith to retain the auxiliary main narrowing combs, and capable-of freely accommodating the rounded portions ,of said auxiliary narrowing ,rods for,

certain of said :bearings having rectangular recesses adapted to engage the flat sides of said certain rods for coauxiliary narrowmg rods for locking the same together.

10. In a full-fashioned stocking blank knittingmachine,

vary the loop transfer movements imparted to said main narrowing rods.

13. In combinatlon with the narrowing comb HARRY W. ROESENER. 

